> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cedarai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Switch Billing

> Automated billing for terminal switching services

## What is Switch Billing?

**Switch billing** is how railroads charge for terminal switching services - the movement of railcars within a yard or terminal area, typically at the origin or destination of a shipment.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Origin Switching" icon="right-from-bracket">
    Moving cars from a shipper's facility to the outbound train.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Intermediate Switching" icon="arrows-left-right">
    Transferring cars between railroads within a terminal.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Delivery Switching" icon="right-to-bracket">
    Moving cars from an inbound train to the consignee's facility.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Info>
  Switch carriers are often short-line railroads or terminal companies that provide local service within industrial
  areas where line-haul carriers don't operate directly.
</Info>

***

## Why Automated Switch Billing?

<Warning>
  Manual switch billing creates problems: - **Missed billing** when switches aren't tracked - **Delayed payments** from
  late invoice generation - **Disputes** when documentation is incomplete
</Warning>

Cedar automates the entire process - from identifying switch carriers in routes to generating and transmitting switch bills.

***

## How Cedar Handles Switch Billing

<Steps>
  <Step title="Identify Switch Carriers">
    Cedar automatically identifies switch carriers in your waybill routes based on their role codes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate Switch Bills">
    For each switch carrier, Cedar generates the appropriate billing document with the correct content.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Transmit EDI">Switch bills are sent electronically to each switch carrier.</Step>
  <Step title="Track Acknowledgments">Cedar tracks acknowledgments to confirm receipt of each switch bill.</Step>
</Steps>

***

## Key Features

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Automatic Detection" icon="magnifying-glass" defaultOpen>
    Cedar identifies switch carriers from waybill routes automatically - no manual flagging required.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Flexible Configuration" icon="sliders">
    Configure payment terms and routing options to match your switching arrangements.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Integration with Other Features

Switch billing works alongside Cedar's other EDI automation features:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Waybill Transmission" icon="paper-plane" href="/user-docs/arms/edi-messaging">
    Send waybills to line-haul carriers and switch bills to switch carriers in coordinated workflows.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Haulage Management" icon="handshake" href="/user-docs/arms/haulage">
    Routes with both haulage and switch carriers are handled correctly - each carrier gets the right message.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Getting Started

<Note>
  Switch billing is configured through Cedar's workflow automation. Contact your Cedar implementation team to enable
  switch billing for your operations.
</Note>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Identify Switch Relationships">Determine which switch carriers you work with regularly.</Step>
  <Step title="Configure Workflows">Set up automation rules for switch bill generation and transmission.</Step>
  <Step title="Set Payment Terms">Configure appropriate payment methods for your switch billing arrangements.</Step>
  <Step title="Enable Production">Turn on automated switch billing.</Step>
</Steps>

***

## Questions?

<Tip>
  For questions about switch billing configuration or to enable additional features, contact your Cedar account team or
  email **[support@cedarai.com](mailto:support@cedarai.com)**.
</Tip>